Chapter 6.04
SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
6.04.010 Sewer connection charges established—Schedule of rates.
6.04.020 Connection charge payable when.
6.04.030 Payment confers right to single connection.
6.04.040 Transfer of sewage from lot for which connection charges not paid.
6.04.050 Sewer improvement fund.
6.04.060 Council to contract for construction of improvements to sewer system.
6.04.070 Subdivider to install sewer lines.
6.04.080 Prohibited discharges into sanitary sewer system.
6.04.090 Provision for grease, oil or sand interceptors.
6.04.095 Backwater protection devices for sewer services.
6.04.100 Prevention of injurious substances in sewers.
6.04.120 Sewer service charge.
6.04.130 Failure to pay sewer service charge.
6.04.140 Penalties for nonpayment.
6.04.150 Governmental or public premises.
6.04.160 Violation and penalties.
6.04.010 Sewer connection charges established—Schedule of rates.
In order to establish appropriate provisions for the construction and expansion of the sanitary sewer system of the city and to be assured that the cost of such construction and expansion is borne by those who receive the benefits thereof, there is hereby established connection charges for all connections to the sanitary sewer system of the city; such connection charges shall be established by resolution. (Ord. 975 § 1, 1982: prior code § 21.1).
6.04.020 Connection charge payable when.
The sewer connection charge, above provided for shall be payable at the time the owner makes a request and obtains a building permit to construct a building which will use the sewer facilities of the city. (Prior code § 21.2).
6.04.030 Payment confers right to single connection.
The payment of a connection charge shall entitle the specified lot or parcel of land for which payment is made to a single connection to a sewer line. (Prior code § 21.3).
6.04.040 Transfer of sewage from lot for which connection charges not paid.
Sewage originating on a lot or parcel of land for which a connecting charge has not been paid may not be transferred to any sewer line by way of another lot or parcel of land for which a sewer connection charge has been paid. (Prior code § 21.4).
6.04.050 Sewer improvement fund.
All fees collected under the provisions of this chapter including sewer connection charges provided for by Section 6.04.010 and sewer service charges provided for by Section 6.04.120 shall be paid into a fund hereby created known as the "sewer improvement fund," and the moneys paid into such fund shall be used only for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, maintenance and operation of sanitation or sanitary sewer facilities, to repay principal and interest on bonds issued for the construction or reconstruction of such sanitary sewer facilities and to repay federal or state loans or advances made for the construction or reconstruction of sanitation or sanitary sewer facilities. (Ord. 960 § 8, 1981: prior code § 21.5).
6.04.060 Council to contract for construction of improvements to sewer system.
Whenever a subdivider or other property owner requiring the construction of sewer mains from his respective property to the nearest sewer main or pumping plant outside of his respective property and where, in the opinion of the council, it is necessary that a larger sewer main pumping plant or other improvements to the sewer system be constructed of a larger capacity than the minimum capacity needed to serve such subdivision or other property and that such extended sewer main will be or can be used in the disposal of sewage from adjacent properties not in such subdivision or other properties, and council may contract with either such subdivider or other property owner for the construction of such additional sewer main, pumping plant or other improvements to the sewer system upon such terms as the council shall deem reasonable and proper. (Prior code § 21.5-1).
6.04.070 Subdivider to install sewer lines.
No provisions of Sections 6.04.010 to 6.04.060 are intended to nor shall be construed to relieve or otherwise excuse any subdivider from the installation at his own sole cost and expense of all sanitary sewer lines and connecting lines within any subdivision created pursuant to Title 17 or other ordinances of the city. (Prior code § 21.5-2).
6.04.080 Prohibited discharges into sanitary sewer system.
It is unlawful for any person to discharge or to cause or permit to be discharged any of the following materials into the sanitary sewer system of the city:
(1) Gasoline, benzene, naphtha, fuel oil or other flammable liquid or gas;
(2) Solid or viscous substances in quantities or of such size as to cause obstruction to the flow in sewers;
(3) Any waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids or gases in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any treatment process;
(4) Any liquid or vapor having a temperature higher than one hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit;
(5) Any water or waste containing fats, wax, grease, or oils in excess of fifty milligrams per liter;
(6) Any garbage that has not been properly shredded and containing particles greater than one-half inch in any dimension;
(7) Any waters containing synthetic detergents in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process or create problems in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant;
(8) Any water or waste containing radioactive material in sufficient quantity to injure or interfere with any sewage treatment process, constitute a hazard to humans or animals or create a hazard in the receiving waters of the sewage treatment plant;
(9) Any ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, fruit pits, rags, feathers, tar, plastics, paunch manure or any other solid or viscous substance capable of causing obstruction to the flow in sewers or other interference with the proper operation of the sewage system;
(10) Wastewater from a cooling system;
(11) The suds or filthy water resulting from the washing of clothing, garbage or other material from kitchens or other foul or filthy matter;
(12) Any other garbage, offal, dead animals, filth, refuse, or any substance whatever having the tendency to obstruct the flow of water or sewage in the sanitary sewer system of the city;
(13) Any stormwater, surface water, ground water, roof runoff or subsurface drainage. (Ord. 960 § 2, 1981).
6.04.090 Provision for grease, oil or sand interceptors.
Grease, oil or sand interceptors shall be provided when, in the opinion of the director of public works, the same are necessary to prevent accumulation of objectional substances from clogging or interfering with the normal sewage flow and sewage treatment. (Ord. 960 § 3, 1981).
6.04.095 Backwater protection devices for sewer services.
Sewer service laterals serving plumbing fixtures in rooms with a floor elevation below the elevation of the next upstream manhole cover of the public sewer serving such drainage piping shall be protected from backflow of sewage by installation of an approved type of backwater valve. Fixtures in rooms with a floor elevation above such manhole elevation shall not discharge through a required backwater valve. (Ord. 1305 § 1, 2006).
6.04.100 Prevention of injurious substances in sewers.
(a) The director of public works is charged with enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and with the coordination of all city officials and departments in order to achieve its purposes.
(b) The director of public works shall have the power to stop and prevent from discharging into the sanitary sewer system any private drain through which substances are discharged which are liable to injure the sanitary sewer system or to obstruct the flow of water or sewage.
(c) The director of public works or his designated agent shall have the right to go upon the premises of the person discharging sewage into the sanitary sewer system for the purpose of checking the fixtures, establishing the sewer service charges, protecting the rights of the city in obtaining any information deemed necessary to protect such rights. (Ord. 960 § 4, 1981: prior code § 21.8).
6.04.120 Sewer service charge.
(a) All users of the sanitary sewer system shall pay to the city for the use of such facilities, a sewer service charge. Such sewer service charge shall be imposed for the purpose of recovering all or a portion of the costs of operating the sanitary sewer system including operation and maintenance costs and capital and replacement costs.
(b) The city council shall by resolution establish the amount of such sewer service charges and may classify or define various kinds of domestic or commercial sewage in accordance with their relative effects upon the operation of the sanitary sewer system and may provide for varying charges for operation and maintenance in accordance with the relative difficulty or cost to the city in accepting and treating the sewage.
(c) All such sewer service charges shall be a debt owed to the city and in default of payment thereof, the city may utilize any of the remedies set forth in Section 6.04.130 for collection of such sewer service charges.
(d) All sewer service charges shall be billed to the owner of record of the property as reflected on the current assessor’s roll or to the occupant who is using the sanitary sewer system, or to any person requesting in writing that such service charge be billed to him. (Ord. 960 § 5, 1981).
6.04.130 Failure to pay sewer service charge.
In the event that any person liable therefor fails to pay the sewer service charge imposed hereunder within thirty days after it becomes delinquent, the city may take any one or more of the following actions:
(1) An action may be commenced in the name of the city in any court of competent jurisdiction for the amount of the delinquent sewer service charge;
(2) In the event of habitual delinquency, or by reason of accounts otherwise not collectible, the city may disconnect the premises from the public sewer; provided, however, that such disconnection shall not be made until notice of such action is given by certified mail to the property owner and such property owner or other person to whom the service charge is to be billed has an opportunity to appear and have the matter heard by the city council;
(3) After giving written notice to the property owner or to the person to whom the service charge is to be billed and providing such person with an opportunity to be heard by the city council, the city council may order that said delinquent sewer service charge shall be assessed against the property and it shall confirm the assessment, cause the same to be recorded on the assessment roll, and thereafter said assessment shall constitute a special assessment against any lien upon said property. The validity of any assessment made under the provisions of this section shall not be contested in any action or proceeding unless the same is commenced within thirty days after the assessment is placed upon the assessment roll as provided in this chapter. Certified copies of such assessment shall be given to the county assessor and the county tax collector who shall add the amount of the assessment to the next regular tax bill levied against the parcel and such assessment shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary property taxes are collected and shall be subject to the same penalties and procedure and sale in case of delinquency as provided for ordinary property taxes. (Ord. 960 § 6, 1981).
6.04.140 Penalties for nonpayment.
Whenever a delinquency shall occur for nonpayment, a penalty of ten percent shall be attached to the delinquent charge and for each month that such charge remains delinquent, a further penalty of one-half of one percent shall be added. For purposes of this chapter, a sewer service charge shall be deemed to be delinquent thirty days after such charge is due and payable. (Ord. 960 § 7, 1981).
6.04.150 Governmental or public premises.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to governmental or public premises as well as to premises which are not governmental or public premises. As used herein, the terms "governmental or public premises" means and includes premises which are owned, controlled or used by: (i) the United States Government or any department or agency thereof; (ii) the state, or any department or agency thereof; (iii) any city or county or any of their departments or agencies; (iv) any school district; and (v) any other governmental or public entity. (Ord. 960 § 9, 1981).
6.04.160 Violation and penalties.
It is unlawful for any person to violate any provision or fail to comply with any of the requirements of this chapter. Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of an infraction punishable on the first offense by a fine of one hundred dollars and on each subsequent offense by a fine of one hundred fifty dollars. (Ord. 1160 § 32, 1993: Ord. 960 § 10, 1981).